Dignity
by Fernie
Summary: Selina is from a noble family, and her domineering mother has already planned her daughter's future for her. But when Selina gets involved with the Malfoys, her path drastically changes....
1. chapter 1

Well this is my first fan ficcy!!! It may be a little slow in starting off, but I assure, the plot is one of my best!  
  
***Dignity***  
  
Chapter one  
  
Selena woke with a start. She didn't know what had broken her sedate state so abruptly, but felt wide-awake and alert.  
  
She pulled back her thick, feathered blanket, and tiptoed across the room. The pale moonlight filtered through the thin curtains, making a dappled pattern on the walls and floor. She drew back the curtains, exposing the full moon, which hung isolated in the starless sky. Its light flooded the room and as she opened the double windows, a chill breeze entered. It rippled her flowing nightgown, and softly blew her long hair back from her shoulders. Sitting on the wide window ledge, she extended her long legs out in front of her. She looked out to the darkness which enveloped the land beyond the moon's reach, then shifted her gaze upward to the glowing sphere. She had always seen such beauty in the moon, and thought it of particular majesty when it was at its fullest. Her eyelids started to feel heavy again, so she closed the window, slipped back into bed and dreamt about flying past the luminous orb.  
  
'Miss Selina, Miss Selina!' a voice squeaked. Milly, the family house elf was tugging at Selina's blanket, eyes fully of worry. 'Mistress has been calling you for over ten minutes now! Quick, you must hurry, or bad Milly will get scolded again!' 'Yes, alright,' Selina yawned as she rolled out of bed. Her mother hated it when she slept in. Milly scuttled out of her room and closed the door. Selina stretched and looked out the window: a light fog covered the land of the estate, hiding its green hills, dense forest and flowing streams. The Galladens owned a large house on this land which was centuries old, and had been lived in and passed down through all their generations. They owned a substantial fortune, and were considered quite respectable in the wizarding world. They were in fact, well known throughout the general British Wizarding community, as Selina's father was descended from 'Galladen the Gallant'.  
  
'SELINAAAA!!' Selina slipped on her slippers and rushed out of her room, down the long hall, past Milly (nearly knocking her over) down the polished wooden staircase and into the dining room.  
  
'What took you so long, I called you over twenty minutes ago!!' Selina's mother, or Mrs Galladen, as she was more commonly known, was standing in front of the dining table, tapping the toe of a pointed bat skin boot impatiently. 'And you're not even dressed! Have you forgotten that we're going to buy your gown for the ball today??'  
  
It had completely slipped Selina's mind. When she was younger she had always been so excited and looked forward to the balls that her parents insisted she attend. She loved dressing up in the beautiful gowns her mother bought for her, and wearing elegant shoes to match. She delighted in the dancing and socializing too. But this time around, the novelty just didn't seem to be there. Maybe it would closer to the night.  
  
'Well don't just stand there, eat! Quickly!' Selina ate as fast as the steaming porridge would allow, and then quickly went back up to her room to change. She went to tie her hair back, but thought better of it, and left her long red locks free.  
  
She grabbed her maroon cloak and met her mother at the door. 'Change your cloak, the dark green one complements your hair better,' Mrs Galladen snapped. Selina turned to go back up to her room. 'Oh come here, we have to get going,' Mrs Galladen sighed irritably, taking out her wand. 'Accio green cloak!' she shouted, and Selina's cloak flew down the stair and into her hands. She shoved it roughly to Selina and beckoned for her to follow.  
  
***  
  
The streets of Perigon Alley were adorned with clothing shops galore. From 'Bertha's Bewitching Boutique' to the very odd 'Mable's Muggle Apparel', it was impossible to go there and not spend a single galleon. Her mother dragged her into countless shops (the most up market ones of course) but, to Selina's annoyance, she kept on forcing her to try on lacy outfits, with overly puffy sleeves. 'For goodness sake mum, I'm fifteen, not a little girl anymore! I would like to choose something myself for once.' Mrs Galladen doubtfully agreed, but declared firmly that she wouldn't buy anything she didn't approve of. Selina sighed. It was a start.  
  
This time Selina dragged her reluctant mother into the shops, and started trying on garments that were more to her taste. She tried on a beautiful long, flowing dress of light gold silk, but her mother didn't agree to it. 'Makes you look too pale,' she said, pushing her out of the shop and into another one. As soon as they entered the store, a plump, rosy cheeked shop assistant came bustling over. She wore shockingly bright robes of vivid yellow, and her hair- well- Selina thought a niffler had crawled onto her head and died. 'Mrs Galladen! How wonderful to see you again. And is this your young daughter?' she looked over to Selina, 'My, she is a pretty girl. You'll be hard pressed finding a dress that won't look good on her, I can tell you that!' Selina blushed, and pretended to be interested in a bright pink dress behind her. As her mother and the shop assistant talked about new season colours and fashions, Selina wandered off and started looking around the shop. She picked out a couple of dresses which she liked the look of, and took them to the change rooms to try on.  
  
The first one was lavender purple with a low back, but it somehow just didn't seem right. But the next one looked amazing. It was a long black gown which shone with a deep maroon in the light. It had a split up the left side, which revealed just the right amount of leg. It toned well with her hair and made her look much older, and more sophisticated.  
  
'Have you got in on yet dear?' the shop assistant's cheery voice called.  
  
'Yes,' Selina replied with suppressed excitement.  
  
The assistant popped her rosy face into the dressing room. 'Oh my.....that looks ravishing on you my sweet, superb! You look beautiful, stylish, and very desirable...the men, I mean boys, will be after you like-'  
  
'SELINA!'  
  
'Go girl, show your mother!'  
  
Selina quickly made her way out into the shop. When her Mrs Galladen saw her, she nearly fell off her chair. She quickly regained her composure and pretended not to be startled.  
  
'Well..erm...well it's-'  
  
At that moment a tall, slim blonde woman entered the shop, who had the look on her face of someone who had just caught whiff of a bad smell.  
  
'Narcissa, how nice to see you!' Mrs Galladen said quickly looking over to the woman.  
  
'Likewise, Priscella,' the woman replied coolly. She looked over to Selina. 'And your daughter, Sabrina is it??  
  
'It's-  
  
'Its Selina.' her mother cut in abruptly, before Selina could answer.  
  
'Oh, my mistake.'  
  
Darn right, Selina thought to herself. 'So, shopping for the Montues' Ball, I presume?' Narcissa said airily. 'Yes, well only for Selina's gown, I bought mine from 'Madam Melain's' just last week,' Mrs Galladen said proudly. 'Oh really? Well I'm getting my gown tailor made for this particular ball,' Narcissa said, emphasizing the 'tailor made' part. 'I'm just shopping for accessories today.' Mrs Galladen seemed taken aback. 'Oh..how..nice,' she said, forcing a false smile. Narcissa focused her gaze back on Selina. 'So you've chosen your gown?' she said, eyebrows slightly raised and looking down at her. Mrs Galladen noticed this, and quickly said, 'Oh no, certainly not. Go get changed!' she snapped at Selina.  
  
Selina obediently left, forcing herself not to cry. But one dejected tear made its way out, and rolled down her cheek. She suddenly became angry at her mother, that stupid Narcissa woman, and especially herself, for ever thinking that she looked good in that stupid dress. She angrily pulled it off, and threw it into a pile in the corner of the dressing room.  
  
'Pssst'  
  
The assistant had popped her head in the change room. 'Don't you worry bout that Malfoy lady sweetheart,' she said 'She's only jealous that she could never look as good as you did in that dress.' Selina laughed half heartedly. Her mother would never buy it now. ' Here, I got you another dress. I'm not supposed to be selling this yet, its only just come in, but I know you'll look simply stunning in it,' She said, handing her the dress. Selina didn't even bother looking at it as she put it on, positive that her mother would now insist on choosing her gown. The assistant tied up the back of the dress for her, and motioned for her to look in the mirror. Selina doubtfully looked up at her reflection. The gown was simply exquisite.  
  
It was strapless, made of the loveliest soft, flowing material of pale pastel green, which fell softly to floor level. The assistant took out her wand and pointed it at Selina's hair, which pulled itself into a loose bun. Then she saw that the back of the dress crisscrossed up with two silver threads. The hem of the dress had silver beading all the way around. Selina smiled. 'I'll take it.'  
  
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Well what do you think so far??? PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE REVIEW!!!!! I would be most grateful ( ~*Fernie*~ 


	2. chapter 2

***Dignity***  
  
::Chapter 2::  
  
The next few days before the ball passed very swiftly. Selina gradually became more and more excited, while her mother indulged in all the anti aging and youth restoring potions she could get her hands on.  
  
Before she knew it, the evening of the ball had arrived. After a brief walk outside for some fresh air, Selina hastily went upstairs to her room to get ready. There she found Milly had already laid out her gown on the neatly made bed, along with the matching shawl, and put out her silver heels at the end of the bed.  
  
Selina excitedly slipped on the gown, and then realized that she needed help in doing up the back.  
  
'Milly.' she called. She heard a pattering of light feet, then saw Milly peer timidly around the door. 'You called for Milly?' she asked quietly. 'Yes, come in. Can you please tie the back of my dress up?'  
  
Milly looked as if she'd just been asked to shake hands with the Minister for Magic. 'Yes, of course! Anything to help good, kind Miss!' she said, eagerly rushed over and jumped up on the bed so she could reach. Selina sat on the bed, and Milly began tying up her back. 'Is Miss looking forward this evening?' Milly asked cheerfully. 'How many times do I have to tell you Milly, please. call me by my first name.' 'Oh dear, Milly is sorry, very sorry Miss... no! I is meaning S- Sel.Selina!' Milly said, grinning like a naughty schoolgirl. Selina laughed. 'Yes, I am looking forward to the ball, very much so.'  
  
'I thinks it must be very exciting.' Milly said. 'Dancing and courting with all the handsome young wizards, and finally choosing one..'  
  
'What?'  
  
'.but Milly thinks Selina will have the best to choose from, so she should have no trouble.'  
  
'Huh? Who ever said anything about choosing one?'  
  
'Mistress of course, she was talking to Milly while I shined her jewellery. Said Selina was growing up, and would soon be marrying a fine young Wizard. She kept on mentioning the Malfoy's son, saying he would be perfect! 'Quite handsome,' she says, 'not to mention very wealthy and of similar age..'  
  
'I can't believe it,' Selina said quietly. 'She's got it all organised, hasn't she?' She said, turning to Milly. 'I bet she's already chosen names for my children!! How can she think that she can control my life like this!!!???'  
  
Milly began to tremble. Her eyes grew round and watery and all of a sudden she let out a wail. 'Oh no...oh no oh no!!!!' she cried pulling at her ears in frustration. 'Bad Milly, Bad!! Bad, stupid Milly should not have told Selina that, no!! Mistress would not have wanted Milly to tell!!!  
  
Selina put her hands on Milly's small shoulders, and tried to calm her down. 'But Milly, don't you see? You've warned me! Now I know what my ghastly mother is up to.'  
  
'But she'll know!' Milly sniffed, 'she'll know that Milly has told!' She sank to her knees, and crossed her knobbly legs to sit. 'You must give the Malfoy's son a chance!' She pleaded, 'So that Mistress doesn't find out Milly has been deceitful to her!' Selina sighed. She hardly even knew the boy. But poor Milly..  
  
'Alright,' she said, 'I will give him a chance. But don't expect me to jump into his lap as soon as I see him.'  
  
Milly looked up gleefully, then hugged Selina crushingly around the middle, squashing her long nose into Selina's neck.  
  
***  
  
The Montues Mansion was enormously elaborate, and the outside had been bewitched, giving it a blue illuminated glow. At the entrance bewitched hatstands took their hats and cloaks, and bowed after them. They walked through to a large marble staircase, which lead into the ballroom where many of the guests had already congregated. Several large orbs lit the ballroom, and the floor was covered in a mystical blue mist. There were a number of ice sculptures of ice maidens placed around the room, and from time to time they would change their poses. Sir Montue and his wife were waiting at the bottom of the staircase to greet each of the gests. 'Ah the Galladens! Welcome, welcome!' he said shaking each of their hands enthusiastically, and when he got to Selina, he said, ' Young Selina! Now haven't you blossomed into a lovely young lady! Enjoy your night!' Selina blushed and muttered her thanks, then followed her parents off about the hall.  
  
They began to mingle with the other guests, and gradually more & more people arrived. The hall soon was quite full, and a space was cleared in the middle where couples began to dance to an invisible quartet.  
  
'Ah! There are the Malfoy's!' said Mrs Galladen excitedly as she grabbed Selina's arm and her husband's, and yanked them through the crowd. Narcissa Malfoy was standing there looking smug in a black dress (stylishly jagged at the hem) and a snowy white animal skin draped around her shoulders. She was holding onto her husband very possessively. 'Lucius, Narcissa, good to see you!' said Selina's father, firmly shaking Lucius's hand, and delicately receiving Narcissa's gloved one. They all exchanged greetings. Then Lucius came to Selina. She felt very intimidated by his presence, knew all about his family's status, and was aware of his penetrating blue gaze. 'My, you've.. matured since we last met,' he said cordially, taking her hand and lightly touching it to his lips. Selina felt the heat rise in her face and looked down, not daring to meet his eyes. 'And where is young Draco?' Selina's mother said, looking slightly worried. Narcissa turned to the young man behind her, who was engaged in conversation with his back to her. She noisily cleared her throat and the young man turned around. Selina was amazed. Draco Malfoy was the spitting image of his father, with white/blonde hair, cool blue eyes and a presence that demanded attention. This was not the little boy she remembered, who had rudely stuck out his tongue at her when they had first met. Selina thought he had grown to be quite handsome, except for the slight smirk that still seemed to be plastered permanently on his pale face.  
  
He also seemed think she had also developed equally well, as he clearly examined her over unhesitatingly. Narcissa hissed something in his ear, and he stepped forward and took Selina's hand, gently kissing it as his father had done, although letting his lips linger there slightly longer. 'Why don't you and Selina go and.catch up?' Narcissa said, throwing a knowing look to Mrs Galladen & receiving one in return. She then steered Draco and Selina off into the crowd together.  
  
Even if she hadn't heard it from Milly, Selina would've known what her mother & Narcissa were up to. She wasn't that stupid. But for the time being, she decided to play along with their little game, and have a little fun doing so.  
  
'Come on,' she said grabbing Draco's hand. They weaved their way in & out of the crowd, until they finally found a less cramped space near the edge of the ballroom. Selina turned and faced him. 'Do you remember when we first met?' she asked politely. Draco raised a blonde eyebrow. 'You stuck your tongue out at me,' she continued, 'then ran and hid behind your mother's dress.' Draco laughed lightly. 'Yes, I remember now,' he said, 'you were wearing a pink frilly dress.' He seemed rather amused. Selina was also, amazed he actually remembered what she was wearing (and how laughable she would have looked). However she pretended not to be amused, and raised her own eyebrow in turn. Draco smiled. 'Well I'm sorry for my actions back as a child, how can I ever make it up to you?' he said jestingly. 'Well you can start by getting me a drink,' Selina replied, a devious smile creeping onto her lips. Draco returned an equally sly look, and disappeared into the crowd, only to return seconds later with two flutes of champagne. He handed her one glass and said, 'Here to us starting over. Past forgotten?' 'Past forgotten. Cheers.' Selina said, as they raised their glasses to meet. Selina took a quick sip, then took Draco's glass off him and set it down with hers on a nearby table. 'Come on,' she said, taking his hand again, 'lets dance.' And she led him out onto the floor.  
  
He had obviously been coming to these balls as long as she had, for he defiantly knew how to dance. Selina found she was enjoying herself immensely as they whirled around the floor, and they danced till their feet were sore. Draco then took her hand and escorted her outside to the unoccupied courtyard.  
  
They sat together on a stone bench, overlooking the crescent moon, whose reflection mirrored off the tranquil surface of a small lake beyond. Blue and silver illuminated lanterns bobbed pleasantly in the water. They sat in silence, Selina observing the beauty of the setting, but could see Draco looking at her out of the corner of her eye. She pretended not to notice. 'I didn't think it possible, but you look even more beautiful in the moon's light,' he said, smiling playfully. Selina giggled and looked away. She felt Draco slip his hand around her waist and slide over to her. He began slowly pulling her closer and closer, she could feel his warm breath on her throat. She turned to face him, and met his cool blue eyes, filled with intent, inches away. She was suddenly unsure that she wanted things to go this way, when- 'Draco.' A stern voice said. 'Your mother wants you.' They both turned to see Lucius's unmistakable silhouette. Draco huffed and shot his father an irked glance, then got up and walked noisily back into the ballroom. Selina turned back around. 'That man has impeccable timing,' she thought to herself as she turned and gazed back up at the moon. He'd just helped her avoid a position which she didn't feel right in, and didn't even think would happen. As she looked back up at the moon, she thought she saw a winged shadow drift past it.  
  
'Beautiful, isn't it?' Selina jumped, gasped, and whirled around all at the same time. Lucius was standing there behind her, looking slightly entertained by her startled reaction.  
  
'I-I'm sorry,' she stammered, 'I thought you'd gone back inside with Draco.' She looked down, still too gutless to even look at his face.  
  
Lucius took a swig of champagne, then set his glass down muttering something like 'Awful cheap stuff' to himself.  
  
'Oh well, the whole scene in there gets a little too overbearing for me after a while,' He said to her. 'Besides, why not stay out here and enjoy the majestic scene right before us?' he said, sitting down on the bench and looking out over the lake. They sat in silence for a while, but then Lucius suddenly shot a look at her. She suddenly realised that she had been absent- mindedly fiddling with the small unicorn on her silver charm bracelet, making a jingling noise. She had received the bracelet on her first birthday, and each year received a new charm for it. Many of the charms held the power of small amulets, but the unicorn charm was her most favourite.  
  
Lucius looked back out to the lake, then spoke. 'You seem like a fairly smart girl, and from the little scene with my wife and your mother earlier on, you've probably gathered something of the scheme they are hatching.'  
  
Selina finally gathered the confidence to look straight at him, but found he was still looking straight ahead. He sighed slightly, then continued. 'I personally don't think much of arranged marriages. But then some people do. I had no say in my own marriage.'  
  
Now there was something Selina certainly didn't think was coming. He had said that last part without the slightest hint of emotion. She began to fiddle uncomfortably with her bracelet again.  
  
'Although Draco doesn't seem to mind the prospect,' he said turning to look at her, 'don't fell obliged to fall madly in love with him.'  
  
A woman's footsteps could be heard, getting louder as they drew nearer. 'Selina! There you are! Come, we must be off.' Mrs Galladen called.  
  
Selina stood up. 'Goodnight, Mr Malfoy,' She said, doing a small curtsy in his direction. 'Goodnight Miss Selina. I expect we'll be seeing one another soon.' Lucius said, bowing to her. Selina turned and walked swiftly away, amazed that he remembered her name.  
  
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Whew! Now that was a pretty long chapter, for me anywayz! How'd you like it??? Thanx for the reviews, Wind Runner and Marauder! They are very much appreciated :) And to answer you question Marauder, for this fic I have basically used JKR's creation of the wizarding world, plucked out some characters and created some of my own.  
  
And now for the rest of you...REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW!!!! Please??  
  
~*Fernie*~ 


	3. chapter 3

***Dignity***  
  
::Chapter 3::  
  
The Ball had been a great success. Everybody had enjoyed themselves, Draco and Selina (with the help of their mothers) had become better aquatinted, and Mrs Galladen had proceeded to get herself embarrassingly intoxicated over numerous glasses of champagne. This resulted in her being most unpleasant the next day, so Selina retreated to her little sanctuary in the forest on the estate.  
  
She perched comfortably in the fork of a large tree, reading a book while listening to the soft trickle of a nearby stream.  
  
But the peace was soon interrupted by the faint mad squawkings of a lady in the house. Selina's mother was calling her, (and had been for the last 15 minutes) but Selina stayed hidden in the forest, not wanting to receive another tongue-lashing.  
  
Milly must have hinted to her whereabouts though, because in a matter of time, Mrs Galladen burst out of the house. Selina heard a whoosh overhead, and figured her mother must be on her broom. She went back to her book and hoped that the forest canopy would shield her from view. Suddenly, something came crashing down through the trees. Selina suppressed a laugh as her mother landed rather ungracefully in a nearby bush.  
  
Mrs Galladen rarely came searching for her daughter over the estate, but sent someone to do the job instead (probably because of her dreadful flying skills). She must really be itching to yell at someone, Selina thought. As Mrs Galladen scrambled out of the bush, Selina dropped her book while trying not to burst into a cackling fit. Mrs Galladen saw this, and then looked up to see her daughter giggling up a tree.  
  
'GET DOWN YOU STUPID GIRL, YOU'LL GET YOUR CLOTHES DIRTY!!!!' She yelled, breathing heavily. Selina obediently swung down, and picked up her book. She walked over to her mother, prepared to receive whatever insults she would dish out. But she was surprised to find Mrs Galladen had calmed down dramatically, and even looked excited.  
  
'I received an owl from the Malfoys,' she said enthusiastically, 'They've invited us to afternoon tea tomorrow!' She pulled a piece of parchment out of her robes and showed Selina. 'That's fantastic mother,' she said, smiling falsely.  
  
Suddenly a look of horror passed over Mrs Galladen's face. 'What? What's wrong mother???' Selina said, genuinely worried. 'Oh no..' Mrs Galladen said, 'What on earth are you going to wear??? We'll have to go to Perigon Alley right away! And oh dear, I'll need some new shoes and new robes.'  
  
***  
  
The next afternoon, after numerous outfit changes they finally arrived at the Malfoy Manor. The Malfoy dwelling was equally, if not more impressive than the Montue's. They were greeted in the entrance by all three Malfoys, and then were shown into a large sitting room where tea and sweets were served. The room was richly furnished with elaborate hangings of different shades of green, and serpent themed pieces were ever present. The room was a little too dark for Selina's liking, but it was very striking all the same.  
  
While her father & Lucius's conversation revolved around wizarding politics and current affairs, her mother & Narcissa's exchange was simply snobbish gossip. It was very mind- numbing. She listened to the male's more appealing conversation and followed it for quite some time, but soon her mind began to wonder as she examined the intriguing furnishings which adorned the room.  
  
She was snapped back to reality when Draco leaned over to whisper in her ear. 'You look like you're about to fall asleep. Come on, let's go for a walk, shall we?' Selina nodded her head, and they excused themselves from the conversation (not that they were even participating).  
  
The land on the Malfoy's estate was enormous, double the side of her own. To the east there were green, rolling hills as far as the eye could see, and to the west was large, dense woodland. Selina wished she owned a horse so she could gallop through and explore the alluring territory.  
  
Draco led her through to an area of open forest, where the sun streamed through the thin canopy warmly. Selina breathed in deeply as they strolled idly along, allowing the natural forest aroma to envelop her senses. It was so clean and fresh, yet more intensely filled with different and strange herbs, alien to her senses.  
  
She was barley even aware as Draco linked his arm with hers, and she even lightly closed her eyes, trusting Draco the guide her safely. This sharpened her senses, and she could hear the leaf litter crunching underneath their footsteps, the faint twitting of small birds, and Draco's soft breath.  
  
Soon they came to a halt in a patch of direct sunlight. Selina tilted her head upwards, letting the rays warm her face contently. A pair of soft lips suddenly covered her own, and she kissed them back involuntary, vaguely aware of whom it was in her dreamy state.  
  
Draco pulled her close to him, and motioned to deepen the kiss, when Selina abruptly pulled back.  
  
'What? Is something wrong?' he questioned, somewhat perplexed.  
  
Selina had snapped alert when he pulled her to him, and was suddenly bewildered and a little confused. She didn't know what had made her pull back or even kiss him in the first place, but the uncomfortable feeling was lingering there, and it just didn't feel right. 'I, erm..I just..' she faltered, trying to say what she felt.  
  
A look of confusing and impatience passed over Draco's face, as he searched her eyes for some sort of explanation.  
  
'I just..I can't see us being together,' she said quietly, her eyes dropping. Suddenly a cloud passed over the sun, blocking out the warm sunlight.  
  
'It's not that there's anything wrong on your behalf, you're a really nice guy and I'm sure you'll make some girl very happy one day, its just..I don't think that girl is me.' Selina looked up again, and said softly, 'I'm sorry.'  
  
Draco was silent, and Selina had no idea what kind of reaction to expect. 'Its ok,' Draco said suddenly, 'I understand.' He paused. ' I wouldn't want you being forced into this situation when you don't want to be. But.we can still be friends, can't we?' 'Of course we can!' Selina laughed, relieved. Draco smiled back, then suddenly frowned. 'But what of our parents?' he asked, 'I somehow don't think our mothers will be as understanding.' Selina pondered about this new obstacle for a while, then spoke. 'Well, I suppose we don't have to tell them about our decision now, just let them think we're getting to know each other, and take it as it comes.' Draco smiled with approval of the plan. 'Good idea. Come on, we'd better be getting back.' Selina sighed. She could stay out here in the serenity of the forest forever, but agreed with Draco. 'I suppose,' she said, then on a sudden whim turned to him and said, 'Race you!' and sprinted off as fast as her attire would allow. Draco smiled and chuckled to himself, before tearing off through the forest after her.  
  
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Sorry if Draco comes across as a bit *weak*, lol but he's the kind of character I see as putting up a tough exterior but being the opposite on the inside (or sumthing like that!).  
  
Wind runner- I don't think I'll be incorporating Hogwarts into this story, because when I do write about hogwarts and all its characters I really wanna spend a lot of time and effort to make it authentic and believable (and at the moment I just don't have the time!) Sorry to disappoint you :(  
  
I'm still very hungry for reviews (my stomach is only running on 3!!) because if I don't get more soon I'll have succumbed to the fact that my writing is toilet paper material and not write anymore.  
  
~*Fernie*~  
  
p.s. please excuse my terrible grammar, it always screws up when I upload and it pisses me off! 


	4. chapter 4

***Dignity***  
  
::Chapter 4::  
  
The rest of the week passed rather uneventfully, and on the Sunday night Selina sat on the floor by her bed, while the vertically challenged Milly braided her hair from her spot atop the bed. Milly was happily weaving away with her nimble fingers, but when Selina told her of her conversation with Draco, she became so distressed that she accidentally knotted Selina's hair.  
  
'Oh no!!,' she squeaked in panic, both alarmed at the news, and the tangle of hair. She feverishly began un-knotting the hair and shaking her head with worry. 'Miss Selina mustn't turn down the young Malfoy, no! Mistress will be most displeased!!!' Milly said, shaking her head so furiously that Selina thought it would fly off any second. 'Calm down Milly,' Selina said, turning to face the nervy house elf. 'Its ok, Draco is fully supportive of my feelings, and we've decided to stay friends. He's actually very nice, I can see us getting along quite well,' Selina assured her. But Milly's bottom lip began to tremble, and she looked at Selina with her big, watery eyes full of anxiety. 'I won't be telling my mother just yet, ' Selina said, 'But I will eventually, because no one should be forced into a relationship unwillingly, Mr Malfoy even said so.'  
  
But Milly's expression didn't change, and a big fat tear rolled down her long nose, and plopped to her feet. 'Oh Milly,' Selina sighed, cradling the gangly elf into an awkward hug, 'It's fine, really. Draco & I will work it out, don't worry.'  
  
***  
  
Not long after their conversation, Milly was called away to take the hem up on Mrs Galladen's new cloak. Selina, having nothing better to do, curled up in the armchair by her window and began to read a book. She had been reading for about half an hour, when she saw a shadow dart past her window out of the corner of her eye. She looked up in alarm, searching for the disruption, but couldn't see anything in the darkness. She went back to reading her book, when she was frightened yet again- this time by a sharp tapping at the window.  
  
Selina whipped around to see a large black owl, tapping insistently on the window, with a piece of parchment attached to its leg. She let out a sight of relief, and opened the window. It flew in and circled her room once, then settled on the back of her armchair and extended its leg.  
  
Selina took the parchment off its leg, unrolled it and began to read. The writing was in jet black ink, and was of a boldly ornate font. It read:  
  
'Dear Miss Selina, We would be very pleased if you would join us for dinner on Wednesday next, 7:00pm, at our lodging.  
  
Yours truly,  
  
Lucius Malfoy'  
  
Selina smiled excitedly and quickly wrote down a reply on the other side:  
  
'I would be delighted'  
  
She then tied the parchment back onto the owl's leg, giving its silky black feathers a quick stroke before it expanded its powerful wings and took off into the night  
  
***  
  
On Monday morning Selina sat at her desk in the study, doodling on a piece of parchment. The desk overlooked the Galladen's estate through large glass double doors. Large, fluffy white clouds drifted lazily across the vibrant blue sky, reflecting Selina's current mood. She was idly making shapes out of clouds; as she stared at a certain cloud, her mind would warp it into an object within a matter of seconds. She could see the enormous head of a Hungarian Horntail, breathing down the neck of an oblivious flobberworm.  
  
As her thoughts began to wonder, she came to think of the invitation she received from the Malfoys' last night. Including Monday, the dinner would be in three days time. Nervous excitement swelled up inside her, but how was she to act around Draco? Was she to flirt madly with him, to convince his parents that she was interested in him? She knew that Draco would have no trouble pretending to charm her, but she didn't want to come across as false. She finally decided that she would act shy and innocent, blushing self-consciously at Draco's wooing. She smiled to herself.  
  
Suddenly a head blocked her view of outside, and barked 'What are you smiling about girl??? Do you think the feud between Giants and wizards funny, do you???  
  
Selina was shocked back to reality by her domineering tutor, Professor Mooks. The Professor was so ancient that she had taught Selina's own mother, and had now been teaching Selina the subjects Charms, History of Magic, Arithmacy and Transfiguration. Professor Mooks looked so frail and old that Selina wondered why she still hadn't snuffed it yet. Her wrinkles had misshapen and swallowed most of her features, and the bags under her eyes seemed to drag her bottom eyelids down to her cheeks. But despite her aged appearance, her crackling voice still held authority, and demanded constant diligence.  
  
'Well?? I have been dictating for five minutes now, and all you've been doing is scribbling on your parchment!! You'll have to work for an extra fifteen minutes at the end of the lesson now!' She grabbed the spoiled parchment and scrunched in up in her boney, vein protruding hand, then vanished it with her wand. Selina groaned and took out a fresh piece. 'Now be ready, because I'm not going to stop and wait for your sluggishness any longer! Alright now.. "In 1854, the leader of the Persian Giant Tribe, Ruhg, that's R-u-h-g..."  
  
Selina began to write quickly, but not taking in a single word as they washed over her.  
  
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Ahh! Another chapter ^_^ But, as always, I could do with more reviews. I really need feedback!!!  
  
Wind runner- thankyoup for you loyal reviewing, I appreciate them ^_^  
  
~*Fernie*~ 


	5. chapter 5

***Chapter 5***  
  
The next few days drifted by at a leisurely pace, and on Wednesday evening, Selina lay on her stomach on her bed, staring off into space. He room was so littered with clothes that the floor was barely visible, as her mother rummaged through her wardrobes for a 'suitable outfit' for the dinner at the Malfoy's. Selina had her wand out, and was lazily flicking all the 'pretty frilly things' into a pile in the corner, endeavouring to vanish them one by one.  
  
"Ah hah!" came Mrs Galladen's muffled voice, and Selina turned to see that her mother had almost entirely disappeared inside the wardrobe; just her pointy shoes and rear end were visible. She shuffled out backwards, and walked over to the bed, brandishing a bunch of clothes and a wide grin. "Come on! Get up and changed!" she said, throwing the clothes to Selina, who just let them fall onto her head. "I'll be back in a half an hour to see how they look," Mrs Galladen said, and Selina heard the tapping of her shoes promptly fade.  
  
"Why is she so obsessed about how I look!" Selina muttered, chucking the clothes to the side, and rolled over to look at what her mother had selected. There was a bundle of black, and two larger bundles of dark purple. 'Wow, quite the contrary to your usual colours, mother,' Selina said aloud, but didn't bother to investigate them further until after her shower.  
  
Following a shower, Selina wrapped herself in her silk dressing gown, and went to her room to get ready. She sat in front of the mirror at her dressing table, pondering where to begin. Her long hair was dripping down her back, so she took her wand and performed an instant drying charm. Then, with a complicated flick of her wand, she manipulated her hair into soft, bouncy curls.  
  
She turned to the mirror to admire her hairdressing skills, then went on to apply a little make up.  
  
She had just finished with a coat of gloss on her lips when her mother barged in. 'You're not even dressed yet!" she huffed, but then her expression softened as she took the time to take in the full, blossoming beauty of her daughter. Selina looked back, and thought- but wasn't quite sure- that she saw a hint of sadness in her mother's eyes. 'Your...your hair looks lovely curled,' she said softly.  
  
'Thankyou,' Selina replied.  
  
Mrs Galladen then walked over to stand by Selina, and examined her daughter's reflection in the mirror. 'You could perhaps go a little darker in your makeup, you know,' she said, 'after all, you are growing up.'  
  
Selina was quite taken aback by her mother's sudden change in frame of mind, but she wasn't complaining.  
  
"Accio eyeliner!" Mrs Galladen said, and a thin, black pencil came pelting like a bullet towards her. She caught it, then gently turned her daughter's head to face her. She then went to work, lining Selina's bottom lashes, then her top, and smudging it into the crease of her eye. She then turned Selina to face the mirror.  
  
The smoky appearance of her eyes was amazing, and she now appreciated her mother's interference, for once.  
  
Mrs Galladen smiled, then stood up and walked out of the room. Selina didn't need to be told again; she jumped to her feet and quickly got dressed.  
  
She then went to look in her full length mirror; she wore fitted robes of deep purple, which she left open; a long skirt of the same colour, and a black top with a (surprisingly) revealing neckline. Selina now appreciated her mother's fashion senses.  
  
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That was just a short chapter, as the next onnne will be quite long *grins* Please excuse any spelling mistakes, cuz i'm writing this with a fractured thumb (and i've already managed to slop coffee down myself *sigh*). Oh well, at least i don't have to do work atg school 4 a while!  
  
Thankyuo to all my lovely lovely reviewers!!! ^_^  
  
Serpena- yes it will be interesting, don't you worry!! You'll neva guess what's gonna happen....!  
  
Wind runner- nope, mrs galladen isn't invited cuz...um...well...she's a snotty old cow and...um... she stinks!  
  
Lemon- you're insane, go seek counselling....( and book me in while you're there!!! I can still hear the harry potter music faintly playing in my head...mwahahah....hahahaha...*mentally slaps self* Sorry everyone ^_^)  
  
LiLy*eVaNs*PoTTer2- thyankyou very muchly ^_^  
  
rckstrsydney- yay! You can relate to my characters!!! Hehehe thanx 4 your lovely reviews *blushes*  
  
alrighty thats all for now, but the next chaper will be up very soon!!!  
  
~*Fernie*~ 


	6. chapter 6

****Chapter 6****  
  
So far the dinner at the Malfoy's was going quite well. She had been surprised at the absence of Narcissa, but was promptly told by Lucius that she would be away for a while, as she was visiting a sick relative in France. Selina couldn't help feeling a bit relieved, if not more relaxed by her absence.  
  
So far the conversation seemed to be mainly flowing between Selina and Lucius, with her inquiring about his position at the Ministry of Magic (which he was only too happy to contribute), and him asking about things like her ancestry. Occasionally Draco would ask questions about herself, like hobbies, what she was currently studying, etc.  
  
They were immersed in discussing Transfiguration attempts gone wrong, when Lucius suddenly interrupted: "Tell me Selina, are you fond of horses?"  
  
Absorbed in her conversation with Draco, Selina had forgotten he was there. She suddenly became flustered. "Erm...yes," she said, perplexed at the irrelevant question. Lucius 'hmmmed' then casually sipped from his goblet. Draco gave his father a puzzled look, then took up the conversation from where they had left it, presuming Lucius didn't intend to take his question further. Selina followed his lead.  
  
After dessert, a small and terrified looking house elf began serving tea and coffee. The pressure in her bladder had been rising, so Selina excused herself and headed for the bathroom, a house elf showing her the way along many dimly lit corridors. 'I wouldn't like to get lost here' Selina thought to herself, as they reached the bathrooms. The small elf bowed low and then scurried away.  
  
Selina went to the bathroom, checked her hair and makeup then emerged again into the dim hallway. She began to make her was back, when she came to the end of the hallway; there were two passages and she couldn't remember which way was the dining room.  
  
Having a gut feeling it was the left passage she headed down it. As she walked it gradually became cooler. Every ten or so meters there were doors etched with swirling, serpent like designs. 'I don't remember these' Selina thought, and turned to head back up the passage, when Lucius suddenly emerged from the door right in front of her.  
  
"Lost?"  
  
"Ah...yeah," Selina said, feeling rather foolish.  
  
"That's quite alright," Lucius said, "come with me. I have something to show you." He strode ahead and gestured for her to follow him back down the passage, from which she had just turned. She followed and they walked in silence, their footsteps echoing loudly. The sense of cold began to grow again, and the further they went, the dimmer the lights seemed to become.  
  
They walked through corridor after corridor. The rich wooden walls were decorated with beautiful paintings. Some of the wizards in the paintings closely resembled Draco and his family. Selina suspected that they were their ancestors. She felt uneasy as she walked past them. They all gave her the icy glare that characterized the Malfoy family. Selina tried to concentrate on the beautiful tapestries that also lined the walls. They were mostly of serpents but the beautiful colours and detail are what caught Selina's eye. They were mixtures of greens and silvers, perfectly woven to the last thread. For a moment, Selina lost herself in the detail of the tapestries. She began to fall behind. Lucius noticed this and quickly spoke to break the silence.  
  
"Come quickly, or you will get lost again." He said, gesturing to her to come along. Selina quickened her pace.  
  
The next corridor led out to a beautiful set of stairs. At the bottom of the stairs was a floor of polished granite. The same little elf that led her to the bathroom was polishing the floor. The elf's scrawny, mangled figure reminded Selina of her own house elf, Milly.  
  
As they moved closer to the great set of wooden doors at the other end of the room, Selina felt an intense chill pass over her. They walked through the doors into the night. Selina shivered. It was a frosty night.  
  
Even though Selina had been on land outside the house before, she was still taken back by its size. The land looked almost mysterious in the dark. She looked at Lucius, who had already started to walk into the darkness. His face and fine bone structure was illuminated by the moonlight. The moonlight also shone on his long, pale blonde hair, giving it an eerie glow. He looked quite frightening in the dark. Selina took one cautious step away from Lucius.  
  
"Now you've done it Selina, why the hell are you out here anyway?" She thought to herself. She quickly shook off that feeling of fear when she saw the clear patch of hilly land ahead of them. Sudden excitement pulsed through her. She longed to gallop a horse through that grass; to gallop it up the hills of the land, and finally retire to a beautiful creek surrounded by trees.  
  
The pair walked on, Lucius leading. As they walked the land became flatter and the grass longer. Lucius lead Selina into a dark grove of beautiful willow trees. The moonlight shone through the gaps of the trees, illuminating the silver-browns of the tree trunks. Selina marvelled at the beauty of the grove but something else had also caught her attention. The gentle nicker of a horse drifted on the wind. Selina was sure that she wasn't imagining it, and her excitement grew. Lucius glanced at her, as if reading her thoughts, then finally spoke.  
  
"So...you like horses, correct? "  
  
Selina looked at him with quite a dopey grin.  
  
"Oh yes, I love horses I've always wanted to own one but ..."  
  
Suddenly she stopped. Another nicker drifted past her. Selina looked at Lucius. She knew that he knew where the sound was coming from. A smile twitched at Lucius' lips- his surprise was foiled.  
  
"Draco was never interested in horses," said Lucius. "I bought him the finest steeds I could find, I tried to teach him to ride, but his real love is for the broomstick."  
  
Selina nodded and became aware that they were standing on a hill. She looked down. At the bottom of the hill was a beautiful glade. The grass swayed gently as a gentle breeze brushed past her, urging her on.  
  
"Alas a broomstick could never be like a horse to me. They have such grace and beauty." Lucius pointed to a moonlit area of the glade. There was a paddock outlined by a barely visible, white fence. In the paddock, Selina spied four horses and a foal. Excitement overtook her. She rushed down the hill, unaware of how steep it actually was. Suddenly, she caught her foot on a stray rock and went tumbling down the hill.  
  
Finally the hard wood of the paddock stopped her. Selina slowly lifted her head, which was spinning. As she sat up, she noticed a little face staring at her from behind the fence. The curious brown eyes approached cautiously. It was the foal that she had spotted from atop the hill. As it came closer and closer, Selina saw that it wasn't an ordinary foal, it was a unicorn foal. The baby horse had a beautiful golden coat and thick hooves, which looked out of place in its frail but awkwardly tall frame. His beautiful pale mane, with all its silver streaks, was illuminated in the moonlight. A horn protruded from its forehead and although it was very small, it shone brightly.  
  
"His name is Alfirin."  
  
Selina jumped. She had forgotten that she was not alone. She turned around and saw Lucius casually walking down the hill.  
  
"In an ancient language, Alfirin, means 'small golden flower', I think the name is very fitting for him don't you?" continued Lucius.  
  
Selina smiled and turned back to Alfirin. She put her hand out to touch the foal's soft body. Alfirin sniffed her hand. His breath tickled Selina's hand. Selina let out a little giggle. This startled the foal. He quickly galloped back into a dark part of the paddock. Selina's face fell. She looked at Lucius. He simply nodded.  
  
"You can go in if you wish"  
  
Selina's face immediately lit up. She quickly slid under the fence and went straight in the direction of the foal. She caught sight of the foal but that wasn't what caught her attention. Behind Alfirin was one of the most beautiful horses Selina had ever seen. It was a great unicorn mare. Alfirin proudly trotted over to his mother and nudged her. The great silver horse gently nuzzled her foal but then looked up, as if just realising that Selina was there. Selina looked into the mare's gentle blue eyes. She could see that this horse wasn't going to hurt her. Selina walked over to the mare and gentle started stroking her soft silver mane. The mane felt so soft under her fingers, almost like silk.  
  
"What's the unicorn mare's name?" Selina asked Lucius, who was now walking over to her. Lucius looked and the mare. Even though he had seen her many times before, he was still dazzled by her splendour.  
  
"Her name is Vanima, which means 'beautiful' in the same ancient language"  
  
"Yes, you are beautiful" whispered Selina into the horse's ear. Vanima gently nudged her affectionately and flicked her tail.  
  
Suddenly Selina heard a rustling sound behind her. She turned around to see a group of 3 horses walking out of the shadows.  
  
These were magnificent winged horses. One was an icy blue colour, one was a pale cream and trailing behind them was a pure white winged horse. They trotted towards Selina, the icy blue leading. It seems that they no longer feared her since she had befriended Vanima. Lucius was amazed at how quickly the horses had accepted Selina. It was almost as though she had a natural 'way' with horses.  
  
"The horses names are Khelik, Ishka, and Loki." Said Lucius.  
  
"Oh and there is ..."  
  
Before Lucius could finish, Selina heard a loud thumping noise coming from a dark part of the paddock. She felt unusually drawn to the dark, willow covered grove. As she started walking towards it, little Alfirin trotted beside her, but he was called back by a firm nicker from his mother. Selina stopped. "What's making Vanima so edgy?" Selina turned around to see if any of the horses were following. The horses stood, frozen. They were clearly uneasy about something ...  
  
As she began to walk on, the thumping sound became louder and louder. Selina was now well into the darkness of the willows. Selina suddenly realised she was trembling. The excitement flowing through her had blocked out the fear.  
  
Selina had reached a small, dark clearing. In the middle of the clearing, she spied a faint outline. To her it appeared to look like a horse but she couldn't be sure unless she could get a closer look. The closer she got to the creature, the clearer it became. It was a pure black, winged stallion. His dark coat blended in well with the inky black of the night, making him hard to see. Selina also saw that he was knocking his hooves against the hard willow trees, which was making the thumping noise. He was angry for some reason.  
  
Selina knew that she should have turned back and ran, but something was pulling her towards the fierce stallion, some sort of strange energy that surrounded him. She walked towards him- not thinking, not knowing ...only aware of the ethereal beast before her. A stray branch broke her trance. As she was walking, she tripped over the branch and fell into the stallion's view. The thumping stopped. Slowly the stallion turned to face Selina, his pale eyes shimmering in the moonlight. Suddenly, Selina felt as if there was some sort of a link between them. She stood up and walked towards the stallion. Her fear was forsaken.  
  
Unfortunately for Selina, the stallion didn't feel the same way. His anger was still very much alive. He reared up and let out a fierce scream. Suddenly he started to gallop madly towards Selina. Selina realised that the stallion wasn't going to stop and started screaming and running for her life.  
  
She knew she couldn't outrun a strong stallion like him. As the sound of thundering hooves came closer, she began desperately searching for something with which she could defend herself. She spied a thick branch ahead.  
  
As she ran, she scooped up the branch and turned to face the horse. He was closer than she had thought. Out of fear, Selina dropped the branch and closed her eyes.  
  
"This is the end," she thought.  
  
Just as the fierce stallion was about to run her down, he stopped and started rearing and screaming madly. Selina opened her eyes to see that a thin loop of rope had been cast over his neck, pulling him away from Selina. This came as quite a shock to both Selina and the horse.  
  
Selina quickly moved away from the horse. She looked to see what was at the other end of the rope. She smiled when she found that it was Lucius. He had mounted Khelik, the icy blue stallion and was hovering above them- Khelik's powerful wings beating, creating a breeze.  
  
"Oh ... you just saved my life!" exclaimed Selina, relieved.  
  
"How did you know I was here?"  
  
A smirk crept onto Lucius' face.  
  
"I noticed that you were drawn to the darkest part of the paddock, the place where Morion dwells.oh and I heard you screaming."  
  
"Morion?"  
  
"Morion is the stallion's name. It means 'son of darkness' in the ancient language," Lucius said, dismounting smoothly as Khelik touched down.  
  
Selina looked at the stallion, which had now calmed down a bit. She stared deep into the stallion's cold eyes. They showed more than the pale green that was clearly evident. They revealed pain and anguish. It was evident that this horse had had a cruel past.  
  
Even though this horse had tried to kill her, she feel a sudden sadness about him. She put her hand out to touch the silken black coat. The horse's calm disappeared as quickly as it came. His head swung around towards Selina, teeth bared. She quickly withdrew her hand before he could bite her.  
  
"Don't even try that with this horse."  
  
For a second, Selina forgot that Lucius was there and it came as quite a disturbance.  
  
"This horse is untameable, he's learned not to trust the hand of man," continued Lucius  
  
"Before I purchased him he had a cruel master. Morion was whipped and tormented as a colt. He grew up with a strong hatred of humans."  
  
Selina looked at the horse again. Even after hearing all this, she still had a strong urge to touch the horse, feel his silken coat under her fingers. She put out her hand again. Morion glared at her, except this time he didn't bite her. He just looked at her, as if to say "What are you doing? I just tried to bite you!"  
  
Morion flinched under her gentle touch. As soon as Selina came into contact with him, she felt a sort of energy shoot up her arm. She didn't want to startle the horse so she gently whispered to him to relax him. Morion just looked at her in a confused sort of way. No human had ever been so gentle with him. Suddenly his confusion changed to shock. The horse, realising what he had allowed, slowly backed away.  
  
Selina looked at the horse and smiled. She glanced over at Lucius. He just stood there, gaping. Upon realising Selina's gaze, he quickly closed his mouth. He was shocked because he knew what was happening and couldn't believe it.  
  
"They say that a Pegasus only has one true master, someone they stay trust and are forever loyal to, and when they find them its such a glorious feeling. A feeling of peace and tranquillity passes over them; it is a wondrous experience. It explains why Morion stayed her so long. He had a choice to leave, the paddock has no magical barrier."  
  
Lucius stopped and looked at Morion again.  
  
" But for some reason he stayed, as if waiting ...no, no ...it's far too early to tell yet ...although that is the closest anyone has ever got to him, even me ..."  
  
Selina fell silent. This horse tried to kill her, could he really be her loyal steed? She walked over to him. The air around them did have a certain hint of tranquillity. She gently touched his mane, trailing her hand down his back. She felt the same strong flow of energy she had felt before. Suddenly she stopped. Just below his flanks, she felt raised lines of skin. They were scars from the whip of his former owner. Morion let a squeal of pain and started kicking. Selina quickly backed away.  
  
Lucius flipped out a silver pocket watch.  
  
"Come, we must get going ...it's rather late."  
  
Selina didn't really want to go, but reluctantly went to follow Lucius.  
  
"Good-bye Morion" she whispered. Morion stopped kicking, and looked at her. His eyes no longer held the anger and hatred they had when they first met. They were gentle, full of warmth.  
  
Selina walked with Lucius, who was leading Khelik, back through the dark willow trees to the clearing of the paddock where she had met the other horses. As she walked through the dark, she glanced back to where Morion was. The horse no longer kicked or thumped the trees, he just stood there looking at her. The angry, strong stallion looked like a young foal from this distance. She walked further and further until the dark enveloped the black horse so that he could no longer be seen.  
  
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Well that was a pretty long chapter eh? So what do u think? Do you guys like the longer chapters, or do you prefer shorter ones?  
  
Please review or drop me an email and let me know how i'm going!!!  
  
Thanx to:  
  
Lemon- you nutter =^_^=  
  
Nancy- i have no idea why my story came up for a voldemort character search ...but hey, I can always use him if you want!!  
  
Well what are you waiting for? REVIEW hehehehehehehehe ^_^  
  
~*Fernie*~ 


	7. chapter 7

****Chapter 7****  
  
Selina was riding Morion. It was an early frosted morning, with dew still fresh underfoot. She could feel his powerful muscles rippling under her, as he cantered up a steep hill. Morion reached then top with ease, then galloped down the other side and onto the flat plane. "Come on, you can do better than that!" Selina laughed, as she urged him to go faster. He obliged with a snort, and increased his speed. Selina marveled at how light his footfalls were, especially at the pace they were going.  
  
The wind rushed in her ears and the cold breeze was making her face numb and eyes stream, but she didn't care.  
  
She was surprised as Morion gave a sudden jolt of speed, and quickly grabbed firmly onto his mane. Then he unfolded his wings. Selina's stomach gave a sudden clench of fear. "Oh no...no Morion, I don't think I'm ready for this yet..." but he slowly began to beat his wings.  
  
"No Morion, please!" she yelled, but his wings began to beat fast and faster, and his footfalls became lighter and lighter.......they were barely touching the ground... Selina scrunched her eyes shut and buried her face in his mane. They stared to ascend upwards on a slope- Selina clenched her knees around Morion's wing joints, and held on for dear life.  
  
Higher and higher they climbed, until suddenly Morion levelled out to horizontal, and the powerful beating of his wings slowed slightly.  
  
Selina's fright began to slowly dissolve away, and she cautiously opened her eyes. They were soaring high above the hilly land, Selina could see the forest to her left, stretching out like a green sea.  
  
Selina's spirits soared, she felt so exhilarated and carefree...how could she ever have been scared of flying?  
  
Suddenly, Morion gave a grunt, as if to say he'd had enough of flying. They began to descend rapidly... Selina shut her eyes and gripped Morion's mane as they were about to land, when -  
  
Selina awoke, in her bed, to find her hands clenching her bedcovers firmly. It had all been a dream.  
  
***  
  
Weeks passed and numerous, similar dreams invaded her sleep. But Selina wasn't complaining. She would actually look forward to the nights where she would vividly ride the great black steed in her hours of slumber.  
  
She was in the process of recounting her previous nights adventure in her mind, while she and her parents sat at dinner one evening. Suddenly, out of the blue, Mrs Galladen spoke.  
  
"How was dinner at the Malfoy's...dear?"  
  
Selina looked up. Had she just heard right? Her mother hadn't once mentioned it before, even though it was over a week ago.  
  
"Sorry?"  
  
Mrs Galladen made an odd face -- as if restraining herself - while making a quiet choking noise, then spoke.  
  
"The dinner, girl!" she said impatiently, " At the Malfoy's...oh honestly, it wasn't that long ago!"  
  
"Oh, yes...um, well it was quite pleasant..."  
  
Selina looked down at her plate, and realized she'd hardly touched her dinner. She began pushing vegetables onto her fork.  
  
"And what about Draco? How are you two getting along?"  
  
"Oh great, we get along fine," Selina said through a mouthful of beans.  
  
"Excellent!" exclaimed Mrs Galladen, leaning back into her chair grinning haughtily, and looking quite satisfied.  
  
"Yes.yes it is..." Selina said, smiling falsely, "But not in the way YOU think," Selina thought to herself as she sipped from her goblet, "You stupid old-  
  
BOOM!  
  
Selina spilt her drink in fright, as the loud boom echoed noisily from downstairs. It was followed by the faint squeals of many house elves. Mr Galladen jumped to his feet, wand drawn. With a small 'pop' that made them all jump, a small house elf, blackened with soot, appeared in the room.  
  
"Oh Master! Mistress!," he choked while coughing and spluttering, "It happened s-so quickly!"  
  
"What did? Who caused this catastrophe!!!" Mr Galladen demanded.  
  
"She d-didn't mean to sir...it was an accident! Oh dear, oh dear...it was terrible! The whole kitchen is ruined..." the elf sobbed, blowing his nose loudly on his loincloth, which left a black smudge on his face.  
  
"Listen to me elf! I demand you tell me who is responsible for this!!" Mr Galladen roared.  
  
But as the sobbing elf went to speak, another ashen house elf came rushing in, tripping over its gangly legs and skidded to a holt in front of them. With a quivering lip and a shameful face, Milly's big sad eyes slowly looked up at them.  
  
"YOU!" Mrs Galladen barked, pointing her wand threateningly at Milly, "Explain yourself!"  
  
Milly went to speak, but suddenly started shrieking, then dropped to the floor and rolled. The back of her loincloth was on fire, and she was rolling frantically trying to put it out. She then stood shakily to her feet, and started to wail.  
  
"Oh mistress, master! Milly is so terribly, terribly sorry! It was an accident...Milly didn't mean-  
  
"That's enough!" cried Mrs Galladen. "I've had enough of you, you half- witted little creature! I've been looking for a reason to dismiss you for ages, and now its finally come..."  
  
"NO!" Selina yelled jumping to her feet, "You can't! Milly has served us for years now, you can't just fire her like that!"  
  
"Watch me," Mrs Galladen sneered. "Milly- or whatever your name is- you are, from this day onwards, dismissed from our entire estate. You are forever banished, and may never- under no circumstances- return. Is that completely clear?  
  
Milly look up at Mrs Galladen, tears flowing down her face, then to Selina.  
  
"Well?" Mrs Galladen said threateningly. Milly gave a small nod.  
  
"Good, now OUT!"  
  
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Poor Milly :( I was in a fairly vicious mood when I wrote this, and was originally going to kill off a character, but didn't have the heart to. So I 'got rid' of one instead.  
  
Anywayz, sorry this has been so long coming, I've been so run off my feet lately! I've got the next two chapters practically finished, just a lil bit more editing to do and the like.  
  
Gratitudes to:  
  
Lemon- oh how sincere!  
  
Serpena- thanx...I think. I never know if your reviews are positive or not...  
  
Milady DeWinter- thankyou very much! Your story is also very good, I have to get around to reading the last few chapters.  
  
Shadowdancer3- what a lovely review! Thankyou so much ^_^  
  
wuntuffcooki- another nice review...thanx!  
  
From now I think the action is picking up a fair bit, so look out for the next few chapters!!  
  
~*Fernie*~  
  
p.s. Did I trick you with that little dream sequence? Hehehehehe.^_^ 


	8. chapter 8

Selina seethed with anger as she tossed and turned in bed that night. How could her mother just fire Milly? She had been so loyal to Selina and the family, and all it took was for her to put one toe out of line and that was it, dismissed! But as Selina tried to figure her mother out a thought popped into her mind: had Mrs Galladen possibly been jealous of Selina's close bond with Milly? After all, Selina did share all her thoughts and secrets with her.  
  
Selina now thought how much she would miss Milly, but then pushed the thought to the back of her mind- she had to get a decent night's sleep, because tomorrow night she would be going to the Malfoy's again. She smiled at the thought, and rolled over to see the half moon, shining down through her window.  
  
***  
  
After the morning's tedious and extremely dull lessons with Professor Mooks, Selina had a quick lunch and began to get ready for her visit to the Malfoy Manor. She desperately hoped that she would be able to see the horses again, so much so that she even wore pants, not a skirt or dress. In her excitement she even called for Milly to braid her hair- to then remember that she was gone. Disheartened a little, she wove her hair into one long, thick plait, leaving a few wispy strands to frame her face.  
  
When she heard the grandfather clock strike eight, she hurried downstairs in her long mauve robes. She had thought ahead and decided to wear this to cover her pants- "A lady wears skirts" as her mother constantly reminded her.  
  
Mrs Galladen was already waiting by the fireplace, sitting in an armchair and pretending to be engrossed in a novel. When Selina entered the room she immediately looked up. "Oh," she started, looking at the robes, "You don't have to rug up so much you know, it's not that cold." Selina knew the hidden meaning in the comment, and grabbed a handful of floo powder, desperate to get away from her mother as soon as possible. "But you look lovely anyway darling, enjoy yourself."  
  
Selina didn't respond, and walked into the fireplace. In a whirl of green flames she was transported to the Malfoy Manor.  
  
A house elf was startled by her arrival, and left the room in a hurry. Moments later Lucius strode in to meet her. "Narcissa still not back yet?" Selina asked, genuinely concerned. After all, she had been away for quite some time.  
  
"No, afraid not. Her mother is very ill and isn't expected to live for much longer. I expect Narcissa will be away for some time yet."  
  
Selina, unsure what to say, moved her gaze to the window on her right. She wondered if she could catch a glimpse of the horses in the darkness.  
  
"Anyway," Lucius continued briskly, "You seemed quite impressed with my little herd last time, would you like to see them again?" Selina grinned.  
  
***  
  
As they trotted through a grove of trees, Selina urged Morion to a slightly faster pace. She still couldn't believe she was actually riding him. He had been only temporarily withdrawn from her, but now he had a proud and confident air about him, as he trotted slightly ahead of the icy blue mare Khelik, whom Lucius was riding.  
  
After they passed through the grove, the forest was much more open, and Morion seemed to be itching to gallop through the trees. "Ok," she said softly to him "but not too much faster," and she dug her heels into his abdomen. He took off so suddenly that it shocked Selina, and she had to quickly regain her control.  
  
Apparently she wasn't the only one who was surprised by the jolt of speed, as Lucius took a while to catch up. "Are you sure you can handle him?" he called over to her. "Sure," she replied. "Are you sure you can keep up?" she teased, and with confidence swelling up inside her she shot him a devious smile, before giving Morin another quick jolt with her heels. He obliged with a snort and took off faster than ever. Lucius took up the challenge and sped up behind her.  
  
The competition continued as they cantered through the forest, Lucius displaying his horsemanship skills and accelerating ahead, only to have Morion speed up and catch him moments later.  
  
They soon came to a narrow path, only just wide enough to fit two abreast. A smirk crept onto Selina's face, as she began to lean slightly to the left, forcing Lucius off the path. "Oh no you don't," he shot at her, and Khelik began beating his wings, and took off into the sky.  
  
"Don't even think about it," Selina growled to Morion, "We can still catch him on foot." Morion gave a disgruntled grunt, but stayed grounded.  
  
Khelik's coat gleamed in the moonlight as he soared above, and Lucius looked down at Selina, displaying a contemptuous grin. Selina pushed Morion on harder, gaining on Lucius so that he was only just ahead. Lucius saw her making ground, and suddenly veered sharply to the right. Selina went to follow, and found that luckily there was a rough path through the dense forest. She instantly regretted the decision to follow; it was very dark, she could only see a few meters ahead, and could barely even see Lucius above through the thick canopy.  
  
Branches clawed at her arms and face, and she yelped as something gashed deeply onto her forehead. Morion snorted and shook his head, but didn't show any signs of slowing his pace.  
  
Selina trembled with fear and closed her eyes, gripping on tightly with her arms and legs. "Please stop, please." she thought desperately, as she felt her robes catch and rip on a tree. Suddenly Morion gave a painful neigh as a tree grazed him on the right. A tree then collided excruciatingly with Selina's knee, and she felt it dislocate. She screamed out in agony, and withdrew her grip on Morion to fall weakly from his side.  
  
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Ooh my first cliffhanger!! Mwahahaha . but I'm not going to be too evil, seeing as it's been awhile since I've updated (which, might I add, is entirely my DERANGED computer's fault *pokes tongue at computer*).  
  
I could really use some feedback at the moment, the pace is starting to quicken and the plot thicken (hey, that rhymes!). I reeeally wanna know what u guys think. p.s. and you'll get a mention in my thankyou's if you review!  
  
ok, thankyous for last chappy go 2:  
  
Lemon- BUBBLES!!!!!!!!! *ahem* I mean thanx for your loyal reviewing  
  
knight-that-says-ni- yay! You reviewed every chapter! Thankyou sooooooooo much! *hugs*  
  
ok as promised, I won't be evil and leave you guessing, so here another *FERNIE FIRST* : uploading two chapters at once!!!  
  
Enjoy! 


	9. chapter 9

Selina landed hard on her shoulder, pain instantly shooting though to her arm. She had also received a hard blow to the head, and everything seemed fuzzy and hard to comprehend.  
  
Mastering as much will power as possible, she managed to drag herself over to a tree and prop up against it. Her knee was now numb and tingly, but her shoulder still seared painfully. Blood from the gash on her forehead began to drip down past her nose, but she could not care less. She was so terribly afraid, it was so dark and she was all alone, injured and unable to move.  
  
Suddenly she heard a chilling neigh in the distance. "Oh Morion, please come back," she sobbed softly. She went to grab her wand from inside her robes, but found it tangled up inside them, and as she tried to reach further in, her shoulder cracked in protest, causing agonising torture. Then she heard Lucius, calling, from what it sounded. "I'm here," she croaked feebly, knowing it was useless.  
  
An eerie breeze, chill and threatening suddenly crept up, causing Selina to gasp. It wasn't a strong breeze yet it chilled her right to the core. Something was terribly amiss. Then she saw it: a shadow, only just distinguishable from the intense darkness by its liquidly outline. From the distance it was only faint, but for some reason it struck terror in Selina's heart.  
  
It began to glide smoothly and effortlessly forward, slowly becoming slightly more visible. Selina wanted to run, or at least crawl away, but fear pulsed through her, spreading through her whole body like poison, and froze her up. As it came closer she could hear an undertone whispering on the wind, only just audible. It enticed her into a trance like state, all her senses seemed dulled and her mind became cloudy. She felt her head bowing downwards and her chin on her chest.  
  
*  
  
Lucius turned his steed around, and directed it to fly directly downwards. They crashed through the canopy, branches and limbs scratching and scraping at them. Khelik landed gently and only took a matter of seconds to regain his speed as they sped along the path.  
  
"Please let this be the right direction," Lucius said to himself.  
  
Suddenly he spotted a figured up ahead. He urged Khelik on faster. But there was something else there- an inky shape, barely visible seemed to be right upon a body. The figure could have easily been mistaken for his imagination, but as it heard him thundering up the path, it turned and fled, melting into the night.  
  
He pulled Khelik to an abrupt halt, and dismounted smoothly. Yes, it was definitely her. She was slumped up against a tree, her long hair covering her face. He rushed over and kneeled down in front of her. Brushing her smooth hair aside, he was shocked by her deathly pale face, blood standing out vividly in contrast. Gently, he lifted her chin and felt round her neck for a pulse. Her skin was warm, and sure enough he felt her pulse throb against his fingers.  
  
Suddenly she began to stir, groaning softly. "Selina, you're alright.you're safe, its gone." Lucius said quietly, so as not to startle her. Her eyes slowly opened, and as she looked at him he saw the relief wash over her face. "I.," she started, "I can't walk." She attempted to move her right leg out of its awkward position, but immediately stopped as the pain spasamed through her leg. "Its ok," he reassured her, "don't move it yet. Now, where are you injured?" She considered the question, then rested her hand over her shoulder. "I think I've dislocated my knee, and I fell on my shoulder."  
  
"Well. come, we'll firstly get you back to the house," Lucius said purposefully, and went to carefully pick her up. Selina screamed. Lucius recoiled quickly, startled by the pain he'd caused her. He then pulled his wand out, pointing it to her shoulder and knee in turn, muttering a spell. Selina instantly felt the areas stiffen.  
  
Lucius eased her into his arms, and when she showed no more signs of intolerable pain, he stood up. "It will be too bumpy to ride back," he said to no one in particular, "I'll have to apparate." He called Khelik over, whispered something in a strange language to him, and he took off back down the path.  
  
Suddenly Selina felt a spinning sensation, and they arrived in the Manor with a 'pop'. They were in a room which she hadn't yet seen. Lucius carried her over to a couch in front of a large fireplace that was magically set ablaze.  
  
He set her down gently, and removed her torn robes, to reveal black fitted pants and a silken blouse. These were relatively intact apart from a large tear from her left knee down to her ankle, which exposed her creamy skin that now bore several small cuts, each bleeding freely.  
  
Lucius focused his attention firstly on these, summoning a basin of a pale turquoise liquid and bathing the wounds with it. Selina felt the cool tingle as it touched her skin, and healed over the cuts.  
  
He worked his way up her body, healing the cuts, and as he did so found himself subconsciously analysing her form. At this proximity he could now tell that she definitely wasn't a girl anymore; she had filled out in all the right places, her legs were long and slender, and her small waist was accentuated by the delicate curve of her hips. As he went to wash the laceration on her forehead, her mahogany eyes met his, banished of all immaturity and filled with wisdom.  
  
Now that the surface area was healed, Lucius went to begin on her shoulder and knee. As he slipped her shoulder free of the blouse, he saw a slight blush creep up her face. He took out his wand, removed the stiffening spell from the area. He could see her muscles relax instantly. Trying his best to be gentle, he felt around her shoulder, occasionally drawing a pained gasp from Selina.  
  
He frowned, then moved down to examine her knee. He had barely touched it when Selina let out a cry of agony. "Well," he said, "I am no mediwizard, but I'm certain you have dislocated your knee. That is fairly easily fixed, however-  
  
He trailed off, looking back up to her bare shoulder. "-however I'm not sure of the injury to your shoulder. It can be mended with an internal healing draught, though it takes a few hours to have full effect."  
  
Selina sighed. "Well, lets get it over with." Lucius left the room briefly, to return moments later with a small vial of potion. "I'll mend your knee first," he said, and took out his wand. "I'm sorry, but this won't be pleasant. Brace yourself." Selina squeezed her eyes shut.  
  
"Repairus nemuso!" Lucius bellowed, and instantly Selina felt a bolt of energy shiver down her body, and explode agonisingly at her knee. She screamed. Lucius quickly came to her side, grabbing her hand in his. She squeezed it gratefully with all her strength, causing his knuckles to turn white. She now cried openly, not caring that Lucius saw, as her knee throbbed angrily.  
  
As her sobs subsided, he pressed the small bottle to her lips and persuaded her to swallow. "Don't worry," he said reassuringly, "this won't hurt, it has a numbing agent. Although it may make you drowsy."  
  
Selina downed the potion reluctantly, as it smelt foul and tasted just as bad. She could feel the potion draining down her body, firstly numbing her aching head, then working its way down to her shoulder and knee. She was just starting to feel sleepy, when suddenly she sat up.  
  
"T-That that thing!" she said fearfully, her hand shooting out to grab his arm, "that black shape! What was it? Where didn't it go? Is it coming back- "Shh," Lucius soothed, gently pushing her back into the lounge, "It's ok, you're safe here."  
  
He reached out and stroked her soft cheek, soon her eyes fluttered closed, and her breathing became slow and rhythmic.  
  
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Weeeell . whatcha think 'o that? Now come on, you know u just wanna push that lil button down there and REVIEW!  
  
I've currently got 31 reviews . and I'd really like to make that 40 soon . 


	10. chapter 10

****Chapter 10****  
  
It was two o'clock in the morning when Selina arrived home. As she stepped from the fireplace, she was startled to find her mother sitting there, her chin on her chest, fast asleep. Selina tiptoed silently across the room, when suddenly she heard a 'clink' of glasses. She whipped around to find her father sitting in the dimly lit corner, emptying a bottle of firewhisky into a shot glass and gulping down the contents. His eyelids were drooping drunkenly, and he didn't seem to notice she even was there.  
  
"Ah, you're home," Mrs Galladen yawned, blinking the sleep from her eyes. Selina froze. Hell was she going to get it.  
  
But her mother simply stretched her arms, and smiled at her. "Come darling, come and sit. It's time we have a little mother daughter chat." Selina slowly walked over, and sat on the edge of the lounge. "What the hell has gotten into her?" Selina wondered in bewilderment. Surely she'd blow her top any second. But Mrs Galladen simply smiled.  
  
"I think the time has come for us to discuss...arrangements," Mrs Galladen said.  
  
"Huh?"  
  
"Don't be daft girl, you and Draco."  
  
When Selina didn't show any sign of understanding, Mrs Galladen sighed and went on. "Selina...you don't have to be shy, I'm your mother." She smiled hopefully at her daughter, only to have her stare stupidly back. She took a deep breath and tried to stay calm.  
  
"Well its fairly obvious you're sleeping together...oh its so exciting to see my own daughter growing up! I'm sure Narcissa would agree its time for 'arrangements', although she has been a bit distant lately..." She looked at Selina to see her expression change from confused, to slowly twist into fury.  
  
"What???" Selina yelled, "what the hell are you on about?!?" Now it was Mrs Galladen's turn be confused.  
  
"You think that I'm sleeping with him?" Selina fumed, jumping up from the lounge.  
  
"What do you mean, 'think'?" Mrs Galladen said, still looking quite shocked.  
  
"How-dare-you," Selina said icily, "how dare you think you can control my life like this! Draco and I are simply friends- nothing more. And it will never be anything more."  
  
"You ungrateful little wench," Mrs Galladen said suddenly, after snapping out of her initial shock. "I have organised a young man of pure blood and respectable status, and this is how you repay my efforts? You are clearly in no position to decide what is good for you."  
  
By this time Selina was nearly bursting with rage. She looked over to the corner. "Father? You don't agree with her do you? You can't just let her manipulate my life!"  
  
But Mr Galladen simply stared into the bottom of his whisky glass and mumbled what sounded like "Go wash your hands before dinner sweetheart"  
  
Selina stamped her foot in frustration and stormed upstairs.  
  
She had to leave. She could not stand it any more. She didn't know where she would go or how, but her mind was set and she began packing.  
  
"She thought I was screwing him!! Bitch," Selina cursed to herself as she bundled a change of clothes, along with a couple of other necessities into a small bag. But suddenly she froze. Something was at her window. Slowly, she walked over and looked down. There, hovering right under her window, was Morion.  
  
"Oh Morion!" Selina cried as she flung open the window. Morion flew up to the window and she greeted him with a kiss on his nose.  
  
"How on earth did you...oh never mind that now," she said as she quickly grabbed her cloak, bag and wand. She slid out of the window and onto Morion's back. "Take me away from here," she whispered into his ear, and dug her heels into his abdomen. As they took off into the night sky Selina didn't feel the slightest bit anxious about flying, but her heart swelled with the magnificent sense of freedom.  
  
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I know. I can't believe it either... I finally updated!!! Now at long last I've got time on my side, I am getting back into the swing of things. I have 6 weeks of school holidays so I'll be updating and writing much more frequently. Hurray!!!  
  
I've missed my little story :)  
  
knight-that-says-ni- HOW DARE YOU TRY AND GUESS MY PLOT LINE!!! Hehehehee jokes jokes... thanx 4 your lovely reviews ^_^  
  
Lemon- patience, my pretty...  
  
Now stay tuned...  
  
~*Fernie*~ 


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